FULTON COUNTY, Ga. — In a stunning turn in court Thursday afternoon, Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis testified in a hearing over whether she should be disqualified from the Georgia 2020 election RICO case.
Thursday's hearing focused on allegations that Willis improperly benefitted from a personal relationship with her appointed special prosecutor, Nathan Wade.
Wade himself already testified earlier.
Willis was called to the stand by attorneys arguing for her disqualification, though it was unclear if she would actually do so. The district attorney then appeared in court herself shortly before 3 p.m. and said she would waive her opposition to a subpoena seeking her testimony.
11Alive blogged key moments from Willis' testimony. Here are a few below:
Live Fani Willis testimony updates
5:20 p.m. | Willis' testimony ended just after 5 p.m. She'll return again at 9 a.m. The Fulton County DA's office will question her, and they are expected to call additional witnesses. Defense attorneys are expected to call additional witnesses. Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee said he will not rule on disqualification Friday.
4:38 p.m. | Willis testified that the physical relationship with Wade ended before the indictment was returned. The two events were not related, Willis said.
4:29 p.m. | Willis testified that she didn't tell her prosecution team about the romantic relationship with Wade. She doesn't know if the prosecutors knew.
"I certainly didn't go out telling my business to the world," she said.
4:14 p.m. | Trump attorney Steve Sadow is now questioning Willis after Merchant finished. Willis says she moved into a condo owned by Yeartie in 2021 and moved out around February 2022. No one else lived in the condo.
4:10 p.m. | Willis testified she never disclosed relationship to Fulton County Commissioners or any one at county.
4:05 p.m. | Willis said she has a few credit transactions in Belize and other trips, but there are no other records showing Willis repaid Wade. Willis primarily used cash to repay, she says.
3:57 p.m. | Willis again accuses Merchant of lying in court documents, claiming that Wade never visited a home she owned in South Fulton.
"He has never been to my home in South Fulton," she said.
3:48 p.m. | Willis said the romantic relationship with Wade ended in late summer of 2023. This is around the same time that Wade said the relationship ended.
After a multi-party shouting match that included Trump attorney Steve Sadow, judge Scott McAfee called for a five-minute recess.
3:46 p.m. | When asked about Delta flight records, Willis told Merchant the following:
"I object to you getting records. You've been intrusive into people's personal lives. You're confused. You think I'm on trial. These people are on trial for trying to steal an election in 2020. I'm not on trial -- no matter how hard you try to put me on trial."
3:38 p.m. | Willis said she gave Wade around $400 or $500 from a trip to Napa Valley, California. She also paid for some wine tastings and a bottle of wine for Wade. "I don't like wine. I like Grey Goose," she said.
3:31 p.m. | Willis testifies the relationship with Wade began in early 2022, around April. Wade testified that it began around March 2022. Former DA's office employee Robin Yeartie said the relationship began in 2019. Willis also testified that she paid for the Belize trip to celebrate Wade's 50th birthday.
She paid Wade back for other trips in cash. The most she ever remembered giving him was $2,500.
3:16 p.m | Willis pushes back on allegations that the relationship with Wade began shortly after their meeting in 2019.
"That's another (one) of your lies," Willis said.
3:07 p.m. | Willis was sworn in as a witness and claimed that Merchant was dishonest in previous court hearing.
"I've been very anxious to have this conversation with you," Willis told attorney Ashleigh Merchant. "It's ridiculous that you lied on Monday, and yet, here we are."
3:00 p.m. | Court took a brief break after Willis first took the stand. We are awaiting her return.
Willis' appearance comes after special prosecutor Nathan Wade spent multiple hours on the stand. Wade testified that the relationship with Willis began in March 2022 and end around June 2023. He testified that Willis paid him back in cash.
Former DA office employee Robin Yeartie was the first to testify this morning. She contradicted Wade's claims about the beginning of the relationship. Yeartie claimed the pair was romantically involved in 2019. She testified that she saw Wade and Willis hugging and kissing.
11Alive's Nick Wooten following the proceedings on X. To see more from the day's proceedings, read more here.
More on the case hearing today
Trump codefendant Mike Roman alleges that Wade used a portion of the money he made from the election interference case to pay for various trips that he and Willis took together
Wade acknowledged the relationship earlier this month in a sworn affidavit but said it began after his appointment. Wade and Willis denied allegations of misusing taxpayer funds.
Roman alleges the relationship began before Wade's appointment.
"Because I think it's possible that the facts alleged by the defendant could result in disqualification, I think an evidentiary hearing must occur," McAfee said earlier this week. "I think it’s clear that disqualification can occur if evidence is produced demonstrating an actual conflict or the appearance of one. ...The issues at point here are whether a relationship existed, whether that relationship was romantic or non-romantic in nature when it formed, and whether it continues."
In addition to having Willis, Wade, and her office disqualified from the case, Roman seeks to have the criminal charges against him dismissed. At least nine defendants have filed or adopted motions seeking Willis' disqualification, according to defense attorneys and documents reviewed by 11Alive.
It's unclear if Willis and Wade will be forced to testify at Thursday's hearing. Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee did not block subpoenas that Roman filed seeking testimony from the prosecutors and other DA's Office employees.
Instead, McAfee wants to first hear from Terrence Bradley — a former law partner and friend of Wade. McAfee will then decide who must testify.
If Willis is removed, the Prosecuting Attorneys' Council of Georgia will select a prosecutor to take over the case. The prosecutor could continue the racketeering prosecution, pursue only some of the charges, or drop the case completely.
Trump and 18 others were indicted by a Fulton County grand jury in August 2023. So far, four people have pleaded guilty.
Prosecutors want an August 2024 trial for Trump and the remaining 14 defendants. No trial date has been set.